6 More Buffalo Target Employees Fired For Buying Zhu Zhu Hamsters

The Buffalo News reports that a total of seven overnight employees at the Cheektowaga, NY Target store were fired for purchasing Zhu Zhu Pets at the end of their shifts. In a statement to the paper, Target claims that its policy forbidding employees from buying hot items before store opening time was made clear to employees–a claim that the seven now-former employees deny.

[Eight-year Target employee David] Lawrinowicz said he was called into the human resources office and told employees were not allowed to purchase “popular items” until the store opens at 8 a.m. There was no write-up, and he went back to finish his work.

Two weeks later, he and the other co-workers including his team leader were called in and fired by a choked-up, apologetic store manager. They were told the company’s policy about buying “two-day ad items” had been clearly posted in a sign over the employee time clock.

“There was no such thing. I look in that spot every day when I punch out and there was nothing there,” said Lawrinowicz.

From the article, it sounds like an order came down from corporate to make an example of the seven employees.